Forensic Scientist

Forensic Scientist

LIsa Black

Cape Coral, FL

Female, 49

I spent the five happiest years of my life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist in the Cleveland coroner’s office I analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now I'm a certified latent print examiner and CSI for a police department in Florida. I also write a series of forensic suspense novels, turning the day job into fiction. My books have been translated into six languages.

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Last Answer on July 21, 2022

Best Rated

When you first started interviewing and working in the forensics field, what made you determine if the jobs you were looking at were right for you? I am going through that situation now.

Asked by Jason. B over 4 years ago

Usually job vacancies aren't that plentiful that you can be too choosy. Are all or most of the duties similar to what you want to do? Is the location acceptable to you (local, or someplace you wouldn't mind relocating to)? Is there a good chance you will meet their expectations sufficiently that they will offer you a job? If the answer to all three is yes, then I would suggest you take it. If the answer to only the first two is yes, try anyway.

Best of luck to you!

What are the major duties and responsibilities.

Asked by Jessie almost 4 years ago

That depends entirely on where you work and what your job is. If you’re a ballistics expert, you’ll spend your days looking at guns and ammunition. If you’re a DNA analyst, you’ll be in a lab with micro tubes. If you’re me, you spend a lot of time looking at fingerprints and sometimes go to crime or death scenes.

Hello, what would you do if your boss came in and asked you to test a vile of a COVID-19 vaccine for a possible crime but you did not know what it was however you did know it was a death investigation. What would you do? Thanks!!!

Asked by Mikey over 4 years ago

My lab doesn’t have the ability to test vials of any time. We would send any liquid samples to the state lab.

As someone wanting to become a forensic scientist, do you recommend majoring in an actual forensic science program or is it okay to take biology or chemistry?

Asked by Josie about 5 years ago

My guess is it depends on what you want to do. If you want to work in a lab, then biology for DNA or trace evidence or chemistry for toxicology would be the way to go. If you want to work in the field, mostly at the crime scene, then you might want the more general forensic science. Go on the websites of agencies and professional organizations, look at their vacancy postings, and see what they ask for. Best of luck!

Browse through some of the other forums too and you will see the same trends and writing styles. Crazy stories, posting links, asking dumb questions, asking the same question over and over just in a different way, trying to get people mad, spamming, and fhe list goes on the bus drivers seems to he the worst and the wearher guy before he went away was getting spammed every day

Asked by Jessica about 5 years ago

Some people don't have enough to do!

If a person is hung on their knees, when cut down and laid on the back with the knees/gegs still stiff and bent, can the blood still pool to the back?

Asked by TK over 5 years ago

That’s really a question for a pathologist, but apparently lividity develops before rigor, so it shoudn’t shift much after rigor has set in. However that can vary depending on temperature and physical/medical conditions. Blood will pool following the law of gravity but if the legs were bent, restricting the blood vessels, then it might pool in the torso. Sorry I can’t be more help.

Also, what is your opinion on auditors?

Asked by Cale about 5 years ago

I don’t know what you’re referring to.